Deputy Director of Section 8 Operations for the Division of Tenant & Owner Resources

City of New York•New York City, NY

About The Position

The Deputy Director of Section 8 Operations provides strategic leadership, operational oversight, and day-to-day management of Section 8 program operations within the Division of Tenant & Owner Resources (DTOR) at New York City’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD). The role supervises managers and staff, ensures compliance with federal, state, and local requirements, and promotes consistent, efficient, high-quality service delivery. As a member of the leadership team, the Deputy Director collaborates across divisions on operational policies, business-process improvements, and agency initiatives; advises on complex program and operational issues; and uses performance data to support continuous improvement and organizational goals. The Deputy Director fosters accountability, collaboration, and customer service while developing staff and supporting the consistent administration of Section 8 programs in accordance with agency objectives and HUD requirements. DTOR administers rental subsidy programs including Housing Choice Vouchers, Project Based Vouchers, Moderate Rehab Section 8, Moderate Rehab Single Room Occupancy, Continuum of Care Shelter Plus Care, NYC 15/15, and HAVP. The division serves more than 40,000 households and 9,000 landlords across New York City’s five boroughs. Its work includes application screening, eligibility confirmation, applicant briefings and voucher issuance; monitoring tenant and landlord compliance; and ongoing subsidy administration, including recertifications, moves and transfers, rent increases, and Housing Assistance Payment abatements and reinstatements. The position represents the unit in internal meetings and working groups and represents the Director in meetings with other HPD divisions on high-level program, pipeline, and compliance matters. It oversees policy and procedure work, technology enhancements, staff development, workload and performance management, stakeholder communications, and inquiry responses.

Requirements

A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and two years of experience in community work or community-centered activities related to the duties described; or high school graduation or equivalent and six years of such experience; or equivalent education and/or experience.
All candidates must have at least one year of experience in community work or community-centered activities as described in the qualifications.
Strong oral and written communication skills.
Ability to effectively multitask.
Strong computer knowledge, including Word, Excel, and Access.
Strong organizational skills.
Exceptional project management, organizational, analytical, quantitative, and qualitative skills.
Comfort starting assigned projects independently.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of rental subsidies or Section 8 subsidies.
Bilingual ability.

Responsibilities

Develop expertise in the unit’s rental subsidies, especially their relationship to Section 8 regulations, policies, procedures, missions, and stakeholders.
Represent the unit in division meetings and working groups, providing input on agency or division policies and procedures to ensure they work across subsidy programs.
Represent the Director in high-level meetings with HPD Development, Asset Management, Legal, and other divisions on program changes, pipeline matters, compliance monitoring, and audits.
Work with Quality Assurance, Project Managers, and others to identify and implement policy or procedure changes for applications and annual or interim certifications.
Coordinate with HPD divisions on technology enhancements and changes, including digital recordkeeping, workflow management, and related systems.
Supervise Coordinators and their teams, Team Leaders, Case Managers, Administrative Support Specialists, and temporary staff; oversee hiring, onboarding, appraisals, coaching, development, training, and discipline.
Monitor workload, accuracy, and performance to identify training needs and policy or procedure questions requiring resolution within the Division.
Lead the unit’s senior team in developing training, demonstrations, and guidance to maintain and build program knowledge across subsidy programs.
Identify individual and unit-wide technical skill or knowledge gaps as technology evolves and operations transition to paperless workflow management and recordkeeping.
Manage unit performance using workload analyses and other tools to develop plans for meeting targets, including HUD SEMAP standards, contract utilization, audit compliance, and HPD service-level expectations.
Work with the Director to propose long-term unit goals, priorities, and expectations.
Receive and respond to inquiries from internal and external stakeholders.
Participate in and present at trainings, forums, and presentations for landlords and other stakeholders, including sessions about new policies and application or recertification processes.
Use external communications to inform long-term planning, identify knowledge gaps and training needs among service providers, and work with Project Managers to develop communications that reinforce best practices for navigating HPD processes.
Translate tenant inquiries or complaints and staff feedback into proposed communication changes, including updates to forms, notices, staff training, and communication or conference templates.